Epilogue
by OmegaCrusader
Summary: Three years after defeating the Reapers, Commander Shepard has recovered from his traumatic loss and pain that he suffered. But old memories come back to haunt him, and it seems letting go of the past is harder than one might think ...
1. Chapter One: The Definition of Sacrifice

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Commander Shepard, Miranda Lawson, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Garrus Vakarian, or Tali'Zorah vas Normandy.**

Mass Effect: Epilogue is my take on what happens WAAAAY after Shepard defeats the Reapers, which must happen in ME3. A completely Paragon Shepard who made all the 'canonical' decisions, e.g. elect Anderson for councilor, finished the Normandy crash-site DLC, recruited Legion, all squad members survived the Collector base, blew up the Collector base, resigned from Cerberus, so on, so for. Very strong Shep/Miranda relationship. It might seem out-of-character, but I desperately tried. And please be patient. The 'I tried to make it fit Miranda's character' part coming soon.

Also, just for fun, look at my profile for links to two versions of the cover I made for this story.

* * *

**Chapter One: The Definition of Sacrifice**  
_ "Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience."_**  
- Thomas Merton**

** THREE YEARS AGO**

_ Caskets were laid in front of him. He didn't bother to count the casualty toll. He didn't want to._

_Commander Shepard was well aware of his remaining crew standing behind him. He tried very hard to control his composure; he couldn't break down in front of the team, because he knew they were looking upon him to keep them all strong._

_Turning around to face the team, he lowered his head and closed his eyes for a moment, the faces of the dead flashing in his mind._

They died well, _was the first thing that came to Shepard's mind, and he was about to begin speaking before he realized that what he was going to say, wasn't the right thing to say._

_"Many of our friends," Shepard began, managing to keep his voice from cracking. "Died fighting today. They died fighting for ... They died fighting for the sake of the galaxy, and that makes them heroes, even in death." Shepard finally looked up at his team, and he saw the same grief, the same regret in their faces as well. He was determined to keep them strong, even after this._

_"The Reapers were destroyed this morning, and the galaxy was allowed to breathe freely again." Shepard paused, straightening his form. "For centuries, the freedom of the galaxy has been defended by the sacrifices of many, and those who died today are but the greatest among those many. They freely went up against impossible odds, knowing that they could die at any time, fighting for the freedom of an uncountable number of lives, people that they probably didn't even know._

_"I believe none of us here are strangers to death, to sacrifice, to loss, and to pain. That's why we cannot allow the deaths of our comrades gnaw away at our core, especially if it's going to tear ourselves apart. I'm not saying that it's going to be easy, moving on from this. But I doubt the fallen would want to see the galaxy lose its greatest protectors just because of the reaction we had to their noble sacrifices. If we continue to fight for the galaxy's freedom, if we continue to fight for peace in their name - it's the most honorable thing we can do for them."_

_The entire crew was silent for a while, taking in Shepard's little speech._

_"Well said, Commander," someone spoke up, but Shepard didn't pay attention to who it was._

_Then he turned around and just started walking back to his quarters._

* * *

** THREE YEARS LATER**

Waking up from that horrible memory wasn't exactly how John Alan Shepard wanted to start his day. If anything, he preferred to not have to go through that trauma again. But his memories were momentarily forgotten when there was a sudden _ping _at his desk terminal.

Forcing himself out of bed, he walked over to the terminal and found that it was a report from Anderson. Even after three years, the blow-back reaction of the public towards the Reapers had caused a lot of panic. Shepard and his little team (_Or what was remaining of them, _Shepard found himself thinking) of vigilantes had stepped up with a proposal to Anderson; have a joint-operation with N7, the Spectres, along with the other alien governments in order to keep galaxy-wide peace. And the result ...

Some of his teammates had been scattered around the galaxy, commanding special forces responsible for that particular region. Most stayed behind with Shepard, he himself who served as a Spectre again, wandering around the galaxy and maintaining order.

For now, there was a moment of peace.

Shepard shuffled over to the shower, the steady beat of water on his back relaxing in coordination with the warm water trickling down his spine. His mind drifted amongst different thoughts, but he smiled when he thought of Miranda.

Though Shepard had always believed his life would be one of complete, never-ending warfare, he was glad to have been proven wrong in the months that had elapsed after the destruction of the Reapers. She had helped him move on from the appalling loss of their team members, and then ...

"We got married," Shepard chuckled lightly as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

Before he met Miranda, Shepard had no intention of settling down somewhere and raising a family. He was a soldier, in a way, bred to fight, to serve, to protect. But afterward, Shepard would admit he had sometimes entertained thoughts of settling down with Miranda Lawson when his mind went idle. And after saving the galaxy at least three times ... well, you couldn't exactly call it settling down, but at least Shepard was at peace.

_We got married on Elysium half a month after the Reapers got their non-organically organic asses kicked, our little group of galactic vigilantes get recognized by the Council, she's now an intel-gatherer and black ops agent stationed at the Citadel, while I'm still flying around the galaxy doing my Spectre peacekeeping duties ... We have a son ..._

"Andrew John Shepard," Shepard mumbled to himself, strapping on his armor. _The two-year-old son of two galactic heroes - the elite John Alan Shepard, first human Spectre and Savior of the Galaxy thrice-over, and the genetically-modified Miranda Lawson, extremely competent ex-Cerberus officer and 'the Perfect Woman' ... not to mention who brought me back to life. Andrew John Shepard, now in the care of his grandmother because his parents are too busy keeping the galaxy safe. What kind of a life is he going to live? The moment he sets for school, he's instantly recognized as the son of Commander Shepard? Will he be burdened by fame and attention, pestered by 'friends' that just want to be able to say they know Andrew Shepard, the son of the galaxy's most famous hero? Barely able to see his parents? This is wrong - I can't let a child, especially _our _child, live a life like this. God, if only there was a way ..._

He pushed the thoughts aside. He could deal with this later. But now ... he had to go pay his respects to some friends.

* * *

"Three years, Commander," Joker said as the Normandy began to enter orbit. "It's been three years since we defeated the Reapers. Y'know, I was actually thinking about retiring after this, but then I realized, 'What other idiot is going to pilot the Normandy without crashing her into some planet?'"

"You wouldn't let someone even touch the seat, would you, Joker?" Shepard snorted.

"This seat? This seat, right here, in all its leather awesomeness? Over my dead body."

Even after three years, Shepard had decided to keep the Cerberus-built Normandy SR-2, after Joker's request of a new, non-Cerberus paint job had been fulfilled, of course, seeing as they weren't with Cerberus anymore. It was this very ship that led the Alliance Navy, the Flotilla's battle-ready starships, the repaired Destiny Ascension, Legion's requested armada of Geth Dropships, as well as the Turian and Salarian dreadnoughts in battle against the Reapers, similar to the way the Normandy SR-1 led the Alliance Navy against Sovereign half a decade ago.

"You're coming down as usual, Joker?" Shepard asked.

"Of course. EDI, make sure the ship's ready to go in case we get some unwanted visitors."

"I'd prefer not to bring weapons, but it's possible that some heartless bastards might take the opportunity to come track us down. Especially Cerberus."

"Better safe than sorry, eh, Commander? Right, keep the ship steady, EDI. Let's go down to the drop shuttle. We've landed on Alchera."

* * *

After the deaths of all their teammates, Shepard had decided to bury them himself on Alchera, where the original Normandy SR-1 had crashed on. He'd given them the best memorial service anyone could ask for.

Anderson showed up, as well as Hackett. The surviving squad stayed by Shepard's side throughout his speech. Relatives and friends of the fallen came to pay their respects. Across the galaxy, strangers came to see who had sacrificed themselves for the sake of the galaxy.

Shepard exited the Kodiak drop-shuttle, Joker, Garrus, and Tali behind him. Joker had been outfitted with a breather and temperature stabilizers because of Alchera's low temperature and atmosphere levels. As they trudged silently along, Shepard found his mind wandering. Could he have prevented those deaths? If he had planned better beforehand, if he had thought it through, did the buried corpses on this planet have to die? Could he have prevented their deaths?

_Could you have prevented what happened on Virmire as well? _Shepard found a part of him thinking. But he pushed those thoughts away. It had been too long ago. Too long for it to cause any more pain. _Kaiden, _Shepard decided, _was a hero like the ones buried on this planet._

_But why is it that almost every friend you know, they're 'heroes'? _that same voice murmured in his mind. Shepard ignored it. Honoring his friends and grieving his friends could be two different things entirely.

They reached the tombstones, exactly the same way Shepard had seen them last year. There were other things he didn't recall seeing, mostly remembrance items placed at the memorials. Shepard bowed his head.

"Hey guys," Shepard tried to sound more casual-like. To anyone else who could hear the scene but not see it, it would've sounded like Shepard was just talking to some friends. "Well, it's been three years since we last saw you. And we still miss you all terribly.

"You went down heroically, y'know? You were all the best heroes of the century. The story of 'The Battle against the Reapers', well, kids around the galaxy, they probably all want to live up to even a bit of the courage you all had.

"Wherever you guys are ... I hope they're throwing some big eternal party for you guys. You know you all deserve it."

Shepard turned his head around to see Joker take off his SR-2 hat and press it against his chest, his countenance that one of grieving, his head lowered. Garrus was deathly silent, eyes closed, avian-like mouth pressed in a thin line. Shepard couldn't see Tali's expression through her mask, but her head was lowered in respect.

After a minute of silence, Shepard shot a look at his teammates, who nodded in response. Then they started their trudge back to the drop-shuttle.

* * *

A/N - Short, I know, but I wanted to start it off. Yes, I will continue Renegade and Epilogue simultaneously. Be patient. The idea for this is not as ridiculous as it seems. And, should you decide to review, don't be a complete ass. Everyone's entitled to their own decisions.


	2. Chapter Two: A Moment of Peace

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Commander Shepard, Miranda Lawson, Donald Udina, Councilman Anderson, Jeff "Joker" Moreau.  
**

Yes. I told you I would continue it. Two chapters in one day. Owned.

Following up from Chapter One. Expands a bit on the whole Shep/Miranda deal. But not enough, in my point of view. But this was rushed. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Two: A Moment of Peace**  
_ "Peace is not the absence of war; it is a virtue; a state of mind; a disposition for benevolence; confidence; and justice."_**  
- Baruch Spinoza**

** THREE YEARS AGO**

_Miranda found Shepard up in his quarters, sitting in a lopsided way at the edge of his bed, head bowed over and his hands clenching his father's rosary beads - he was praying._

_"... forgive me for my sins, that I have led my comrades to death-"_

_"Shepard?"_

_"... led them to an end they did not deserve-"_

_"Shepard."_

_"... for if not my recklessness, my foolishness, my _incompetence_ -"_

_"John!"_

_"... pray that their souls rest in peace. Amen."_

_Shepard finally looked up, his countenance that of grieving and pain. "Miranda ..." His voice was raspy as he set the rosary beads down on his nightstand. Pausing for a moment, he grabbed the bottle of liquor that sat on his nightstand, staring at it blankly before popping the cap open and chugging it down. Miranda rushed over to his side, wrenching the liquor from his hand after he was finished with that large gulp._

_"John, stop it, you're going to kill yourself," she said, concern flooding her voice._

_Shepard's mouth was pressed in a thin line, his eyes hard._

_"Who cares?" was the first thing that came out of his mouth, his voice slightly slurred. He was drunk, but not from liquor - from grief. "Who cares?" he repeated. "Frankly, I don't give a damn if I wind up dead, because that seems to be the thing I excel at - dying, and causing other people to die as well." He paused for a moment, closing his eyes, resting his head on his palm. "What kind of a commander am I?" he continued. "Almost everyone that's under my wing, they end up dying."_

_"John-" Miranda started, but Shepard cut her off as he stood up, pacing the room, agitated. "What happened to Jenkins on my mission with Alenko on Eden Prime? He died. Oh, and then what happened with Alenko on Virmire? He died. Navigator Pressly? Collector vessel blew him to shit, so, he died. Twenty others on the SSV Normandy died; that was _my_ ship, they were _my _responsibility, they were under _my _watch - they died. Chakwas and Joker came to the SR-2's crew - but Adams didn't make it. So I assume - and I'm rarely wrong when it comes to guessing the deaths of my teammates - he died._

_"And now I can say that more than half of the Normandy SR-2's crew, not to mention a whole lot of the Alliance Navy's marines, the Flotilla's crew on the Quarian starships, the geth troopers that Legion was in charge of in the Dropships, the guys serving on the salarian and turian dreadnoughts - _dead_. All of them."_

_Shepard looked at Miranda with bloodshot eyes. "I am sick and tired of people always dying ... on my watch." he said in a barely-audible whisper. "I'm sick and tired of having to console their friends and relatives, of giving death speeches, of burying their caskets, of ... of all this._

_"Because no matter what, it seems like the people on my crew just can't - stop - dying." He emphasized those last three words as he said them, before he sat down on his couch and rested his forehead on his palm._

_Miranda walked over to the couch and sat opposite to Shepard, looking at him with concern. "John ..."_

_Shepard stayed still and silent for a moment, before finally raising his head to look at her._

_"I can't take it anymore, Miri ..." he said softly. "I feel like ... one of these days, I'm going to snap and go off my freakin' nut here ..."_

_His gaze wandered to the steel walls, before the faces of those who died flashed between his eyes. He saw a red haze before standing up._

_"ARGH!" he screamed in complete, blind fury. Then he stopped himself as he noticed the blood trickling down his right hand, and the dent he had just punched into the wall. He tried moving his right hand, which was followed by a burst of pain as he realized he had fractured his fingers._

_"Goddamnit ..." he murmured to himself._

_Miranda approached him, standing right in front of him, holding the side of his face very gently._

_"I ... I can't lose anyone else," Shepard continued. "And I can't lose you, Miri; not ever."_

_"John, I promise you, you'll never lose me. Not ever." she repeated his words as Shepard began to wrap her in a tight embrace._

_Giving in to the impulse that had been silently working its way through Shepard's self-control, he kissed her, non-fractured hand holding the side of her face._

_It was a moment like that that Commander Shepard had ever known true peace of mind._

_

* * *

  
_** THREE YEARS LATER**_  
_  
Shepard shook himself from the daydream as he took the transit up to the Presidium. Miranda was at a meeting with the Citadel Council, and Shepard wanted to catch her afterward. But, still, even after three years, he could almost feel the creaks in his bones as he moved his right hand.

Exiting, he stepped up onto the balcony that overlooked a beautiful view of the Presidium. The artificial sun showed that it was around noon. Udina was leaning forward towards the view instead of Anderson.

"Udina," Shepard said, slight distaste dripping in his voice.

The adviser turned around, his eyes narrowing. "Shepard," he responded calmly.

Before either of them could make a move, the door opened and out stepped Councilman Anderson, and, might to Shepard's delight, following him was Miranda Lawson. _Miranda _Shepard, his mind idly corrected himself. _You're married - remember, numbnuts?_

"... Clan Urdnot has been contacted, I have no doubt that they'll - Shepard!" Anderson exclaimed when he saw his old friend again.

"How's the Council? They manage to work things over with the guys on Tuchanka?"

"Yes indeed, no small part to your wife here," Anderson chuckled. "But I'm afraid I'm getting too old for this political crap."

_Same old Anderson, _Shepard chuckled inwardly.

"Well, if that's all, Councilman, then I'll be starting my leave as of now," Miranda said, strolling over to Shepard's side.

"Of course, of course. Udina, I'd like to see you in my office. And Shepard ..." Anderson might've smirked a little. "Have a nice afternoon."

After the door closed behind Anderson and Udina, Shepard took Miranda into his arms.

"I missed you," he said as he kissed her. "A whole damn lot."

"I as well, John," Miranda murmured in his ear. "Though ... would you care to prove _just _how much?"

Shepard's face might've twitched, if he had noticed it. Even after three years of knowing her, this woman was still a sultry vixen that knew just how to make Shepard lose his self-control. But ...

"Later tonight," he promised. "Because ..."

"You haven't seen Andrew for over a month now," Miranda finished, smiling sadly. Shepard rarely got to spend time with his own son due to his constant galaxy-traveling, peacekeeper antics.

"Right," Shepard said, nodding. While Shepard had considered taking his son aboard the Normandy, the people he'd consulted had disagreed with the idea. Now with Cerberus gunning after them, it would be more dangerous for Andrew to grow up on the Normandy than it had been for Shepard when his parents had been raising him.

But in the Citadel, Andrew was under the watchful eye of Hannah Shepard. And Hannah would be damned if anyone tried to harm her grandson without her shotgun having a say.

* * *

"He starting talking when both of you were gone," Hannah said as he coddled the sleeping infant.

"Was his first word 'Spectre', 'N7', or 'Cerberus'?" Shepard asked with a straight face. Then he chuckled softly to himself.

"What a lovely sense of humor you have, John," Miranda said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Hmm. He gets it from his father." Hannah smiled.

"Well, thank God the man had a _wonderful _sense of humor," Shepard snorted. "And Andrew here has definitely inherited that same sense of humor."

Shepard studied his son's features, and noted a few things.

"He has my eyes," he mumbled softly, looking at Miranda. "But he has your smile. Which is good," he added. "Because when I grin, I look like a complete ass sometimes."

_Blip-blip._

The familiar interruption of the radio had been constant for Shepard for half a decade.

"Mr Moreau, do you have a good reason for interrupting this moment?" Shepard said.

"Mostly, Commander. EDI picked up some merc radio chatter ..." Joker said.

"And?"

"And it's coming from Alchera."

The full bluntness of what Joker hit Shepard with the force of a gunship's missile.

"We'll be right there, Joker." Shepard said, his face dangerously calm. He turned to his mother and his sleeping son, a sad, apologetic look on his face. "Sorry, mom, Andrew ... But it looks like mercs are planning to defile the gravesites of my friends, so ..."

Hannah nodded patiently. "Of course John, of course. Now you go ... You go kick some ass out there, for your mother. For your son."

Shepard left with a grim look on his face; though a moment of peace for the old soldier was well-deserved, it looked like he had to fight a few more battles before that could happen.

_And it's coming from Alchera_. Joker's words rang through his head with an intense clarity. He was going to see what mercs dared to try and mess with the gravesites of his friends - and just how he was going to make them pay.

* * *

A/N - Kinda short, I know, but I promise that Chapter Three will be more sentimental/actiony!


	3. Chapter Three: The Price of Revenge

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Commander Shepard, Thane Krios, Zaeed Massani, Miranda Lawson, Jeff "Joker" Moraeu, or EDI.  
**

Sorry guys.

This was extremely rushed. I'm not 100% happy with this one. Argh.

Anyway, this expands a bit from chapter two. Read the A/N at the bottom.

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Price of Revenge**  
_ "Revenge, at first though sweet, Bitter ere long back on itself recoils. "_**  
- John Milton**

**THREE YEARS AGO  
****  
**_Shepard's eyes lingered over a tombstone - that of a mercenary who had been part of Shepard's squad._

_"Is he doing this willingly?" Thane had asked Shepard before, dark reptilian eyes narrowed._

_"Who?" Shepard inquired._

_"You know whom I speak of, Shepard - the mercenary-boy. He calls himself ... Delta."_

_"Massani ... 'talked' him into doing this, I suppose. Delta's one hell of a shot, though."_

_"I don't criticize the boy's skills. But I wonder - is he doing this out of choice? Out of money? Out of fear?"_

_Shepard didn't answer. He knew too well just _why _Delta was doing this._

_"Shepard - as a friend, I implore you to answer me truthfully. For the sake of your entire squad. For the sake of the boy."_

_"He ... Massani ..." Shepard sighed, before finally answering Thane's original question._

_"No. Not really."_

* * *

_  
_Shepard awoke to a familiar warmth at his side - a warmth that he had missed for the entire month.

He shifted a little, reveling in the warmth of Miranda's embrace. What a month without this woman could do to him ...

"Good ... morning ..." Shepard mumbled sleepily when he felt Miranda stir. "Well ... last night ... Totally forgot how ... _amazing _you are, the past month."

"Well," Miranda purred. "I hope I ... jogged your memory ..."

Shepard's leg spasmed. _Doesn't she know what happens to me when she talks like that?_ he found himself mentally groaning.

Shepard turned around and kissed Miranda, but she pulled him in, Shepard finally breaking off after a few moments.

"Miri ... as much as I would love to spend the entire day with you in bed ... We've got some mercs to kill."

As if on cue, Joker's disembodied voice blared over the ship's intercom. "Commander, we're entering Alchera's orbit. Better get up here in the CIC, EDI's got some new intel for us to look at."

"EDI, tell Joker we'll be right there." Shepard instructed the AI.

Shepard needed a few questions answered.

* * *

  
"Radio feeds?" Shepard asked as he walked into the debriefing room.

"We've got mostly Eclipse, Blue Suns, some Blood Pack. But EDI found something very interesting." Joker said.

"Like what?"

"I have detected a more secure radio feed privately used by the fire team leaders of Eclipse. The radio transmissions we initially found was intended to be a trap to lure Shepard to Alchera." EDI intoned.

"For what purpose?" Shepard asked.

"I have managed to decrypt some radio transmissions. Apparently, this particular Eclipse group has been hired by a lone mercenary figure known as 'Nex Matris'. From the radio feed, Nex Matris allegedly has some connection with the young mercenary who was part of Shepard's squad, Delta Necro."

"Mercenary and mercenary? Sounds bad. But Delta was part of my team; I had responsibility for him, and I'll be damned if I let some scum mess with their graves."

"Just keep a sharp eye, Commander," Joker warned. "There might be more to this than we know. You might want to get your squad down to the Hangar. You wanted Zaeed and Miranda, right? In the meanwhile, we'll keep listening to those radio feeds, see what we can come up with."

* * *

  
** THREE YEARS AGO**

_"Commander, Zaeed's trying to make Delta ... piss his pants again ... Could you stop him before Delta finally musters the courage and pulls a Vido Santiago on his left eye?" Joker had said over the intercom._

_"I'll deal with it," Shepard said, tired of all the arguments the veteran mercenary and the prodigious sniper got into._

_Shepard stomped his way into the cargo hold where Zaeed's quarters was._

_"... or I'll leave you a few scars for your precious N-" Zaeed was saying before he noticed Shepard standing at the doorway, fuming._

_"What the hell is going on here?" Shepard demanded, noting the scene._

_Zaeed was hefting his handgun threateningly, while Delta was glowing dangerously blue, his face showing obvious signs of irritation and pent-up anger._

_"I was just trying to teach the boy a few tricks on in-combat evasive maneuvers like you told me told, Shepard," Zaeed said, his scarred features neutral._

_"By teach, you mean trying to fire holes in my legs," Delta retorted, his young features contorted in a sneer._

_"I oughta-" But Zaeed was cut off by the young sniper._

_"If it hadn't been for my shield generator, I'd've been paralyzed on the floor when you came in, Commander," Delta continued._

_"Both of you, stop it," Shepard growled, a headache rising. "Zaeed, how about an extra bonus to your paycheck to stop threatening Delta? You can leave the lessons off; Thane and Garrus can help. Delta, how about I pay Zaeed to leave you alone and you do the same?"_

_"I'm fine with it," Zaeed muttered, crossing his arms._

_"Well, maybe I'd be okay with it if _I _had gotten paid in the first place," Delta snarled. "It's not like I'm working out of choice here ..."_

* * *

  
As the Kodiak landed on Alchera's surface, Shepard found himself uncomfortably thinking of the memories that depicted Zaeed Massani and Delta Necro's tense relationship. Both were mercenaries, though one was a little more ... ruthless than the other. But it was the fact of _why _Delta had worked with them. Shepard knew it wasn't because of free choice.

The young, lanky-haired mercenary sniper had more-than-once pierced Shepard with his cold, gleaming green eyes.

Shepard jumped out of the Kodiak and landed on Alchera's surface.

"Joker, can you patch us into the Eclipse radio feed you guys found?" Shepard asked over the radio.

"Just hold on a second, Commander ... and ... here we go."

The radio signal was, at first, garbled, but then cleared up more.

"... won't know what's coming to him ..." A male Salarian voice chuckled.

"Rylas, stop blabbering and get your squad at Point E with the Blue Suns," an Asari voice chided.

"They're setting up the explosives, I know. And, while we're on that," the Salarian named Rylas continued. "Why are we even working with the Blue Suns and the Blood Pack anyway? It's not like Eclipse doesn't have enough muscle-"

"For your information, Rylas, Shepard wiped out Omega's little mercenary get-together party that was trying to kill Archangel with only three soldiers on his side. I'm just sorry that Massani is on his side - we'd stand more of a chance if the old veteran was with us."

"I hope the money Nex Matris paid us was worth it. Several hundred thousand credits just to get back at Shepard? Wow, that's just-"

"You idiot! Shut up! Don't you remember Nex warned us that Shepard could've patched into the feed? Limit to code _only_, Rylas."

"Fine, fine, don't get your tech armor overloaded, I'll shut up. By the way, Blood Pack's waiting for you at Point C; don't think you want to keep Rath waiting, wouldja, Lynxarxis?"

"Rylas, just ... Shut. Up."

"Shutting up, Lynx- I mean, ma'am."

The radio transmissions stopped for a while after that.

As the squad trudged forward, it was Zaeed who clasped a hand on Shepard's shoulder and stopped him.

"Blue Suns - up ahead." Zaeed warned.

Shepard squinted but couldn't see anyone in the vast wasteland that was Alchera. Yes, there were some mercenary supply crates around, but nothing that indicated that the Blue Suns were actually _here_-

"How do you-?" But Zaeed cut him off.

"Trust me, Shepard - they're hiding in cover."

"Behind the large array of explosives?" Miranda inquired. "Tactically, that is a very bad move."

"Especially if-" And Shepard rapidly typed in a few keystrokes with his omni-tool before unleashing the wave of energy. "-someone happens to use Overload on them."

He watched as the explosion consumed the entire rack of explosives, sending corpses flying. A few stragglers remained, crippled by the blow. Shepard instantly took out his handgun and fired clean shots in their craniums, save one Salarian whose leg was caught by shrapnel. The whimpers and screams he made was identical to the voice of Rylas Shepard had heard over the radio.

"You're Rylas?" Shepard asked, holstering his handgun.

The Salarian looked up at Shepard with pain-stricken eyes, recognition crossing his features.

"You're ... Shepard ..." Rylas wheezed out. "Go ... to hell ... I'll ... never tell you ... anything ..."

Shepard fiddled with his omni-tool. "I have some medi-gel with your name on it, Rylas. Could you just tell me what Nex Matris wants with Delta's body? Is Nex getting back at me for something?"

Rylas chuckled painfully. "You could ... say ... that, Shepard ... In a way ... she _is _getting ... revenge ... It's for ... something you ... did to ... Delta ... She ... Delta was her ..." Rylas coughed up some blood. "But you'll ... find out ... soon enough ..."

With that, the Salarian closed his eyes and his injured body slumped to the ground, not getting up.

_Not particularly chatty for a Salarian, _Shepard thought.

"Let's keep moving," Shepard said, voice neutral.

Shepard's face was grim. He could think of a million reasons of why this Nex Matris would want to get back at him for something he did to Delta. And none of them were good.

_"It's not like I'm working out of choice here ..."_

_

* * *

_A/N - ARGH! This chapter was not long enough. Definitely. Not. Long. Enough. And, to add to the disappointment, I'm not going to continue this part until after the next chapter, because the next chapter, I wanted to do something pertaining more to Miranda's father. Sorry guys._  
_


	4. Chapter Four: Scoundrels in the Shadows

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Commander Shepard, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, or Miranda Lawson.**

Yes, Chapter Four is here! Much longer than previous chapters, this expands on Miranda's mysterious father and my take on him. Don't worry, Chapter Five will continue where Chapter Three left off. Credit goes to Arijharn from the Warming to Miranda thread at BioWare's SocialCommunity for the ideas about Miranda's father.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Scoundrels in the Shadows**  
_ "War is based on deception."_**  
- Sun Tzu**

**HALF A YEAR AGO**

_"Commander, someone's requesting your presence in the debriefing room," Joker said over the intercom._

_"If it's the Illusive Man ..." Shepard muttered._

_"It's not the Illusive Man. It's someone you've heard of, but I don't think you've met."_

_"Who is it?"_

_"Er ... well ..."_

_"Spit it out, Joker!"_

_"It's Miranda's father."_

_Shepard was dumbstruck; the man that had created dozens of different genetically-engineered daughters, the man who had created Miranda, who had pursued Oriana ..._

_"What does he want?" Shepard demanded, an edge to his voice._

_"Just to talk. We can link a completely secure channel with him. And I think he wouldn't want his location to be discovered by us either."_

_Shepard hesitated for a moment. Why _would _Miranda's father want to contact him? How _did _he find the Normandy anyway?_

_"Only one way to find out," he muttered to himself. "Joker, set up the channel. EDI, be prepared to lose him as soon as I give the signal."_

_"Affirmative, Commander. We'll be ready at any time."_

_Shepard stepped into the debriefing room and walked into the already-descending table - the holographic projector that was usually used to contact the Illusive Man._

_He saw a shadowy figure sporting a black suit with a red tie. His arms were behind his back, and Shepard couldn't see his face, which was hidden in the shadows._

_"Commander ... Shepard ..." the figure said slowly with a cultured Australian accent. "Very nice to finally meet you."_

_"And what should I call you?" Shepard asked neutrally, crossing his arms._

_"Call me ... Mr X." the figure decided._

_"Mr X?" Shepard inquired. "Not 'Mr Lawson' or something similar to that?"_

_The figure froze, a tense and dangerously calm air lingering in the atmosphere._

_"Just ... Mr X." the figure said, Shepard not being to detect anything in his voice._

_"Alright then, Mr X. What did you need me for?"_

_The figure didn't speak for a few moments. "I heard that Miranda resigned from Cerberus two years ago." Mr X began. "I was surprised. I thought, with the protection she and Oriana was given ..."_

_"She decided her loyalties lay with someone else. Someone who didn't treat her as just a tool. A product." Shepard spoke those last words with distaste._

_Mr X nodded. "I understand how you must feel about Miranda's origins. I admit that my motives weren't particularly ... moral, to both Miranda and Oriana."_

What a hypocrite_, Shepard thought, sneering inwardly. _Oh, only _now _he realizes that his motives 'weren't particularly moral'? 

_"Years have passed ... I regretted my decision ... afterward."_

_"You mean after you couldn't find Oriana, even with the help of Cerberus?"_

_Mr X might've regarded Shepard with his cold, steely eyes - that is, if Shepard could _see _those eyes from the veil of shadows._

_"I think you know what losing someone can do to you, Shepard. Let's just say you and I aren't that different."_

Except for the fact that I don't genetically-modify children and kill them when they don't turn out 'perfect', _Shepard sneered._

_"You love Miranda, don't you?" The question Mr X put to Shepard caught the commander completely off-guard._

_Shepard was silent for a few moments before he decided to evasively answer, "What's it to you?"_

_"That answers everything," Mr X said, the slightest bit of humor laced in his voice. "Shepard, as hard as it might be to imagine, I once loved someone very much. Oriana wasn't ... In general, my goal to 'create a dynasty', as Miranda puts it ... drove her away, so to speak." Mr X tilted his head ever-so-slightly. "Even now, I still regret my genetic projects._

_"I know how much you love her. I know that you married her, and I know that you had a son with her. I know how painful loss can be to someone. Every time I try to pursue Oriana, _her _face appears in my mind again. That's why I wanted to tell you I won't ... I'll be leaving Oriana alone."_

_Shepard snorted derisively. "You really think I'll believe that?"_

_"I don't expect you to. But that ... that felt good to get off my chest. My funding to Cerberus to find Oriana has been dropped. I ... suppose I will stay on Earth for the remainder of my years, no matter how short they will be."_

_Shepard didn't know what was more ridiculous - the fact that Mr X wanted him to believe what he said, or the fact that Mr X actually sounded _sorry_,_ _as though he had_ a conscience.

_"I don't know enough about you to actually see if I can trust your words." Shepard responded coolly._

_"Then ... perhaps time will tell." Mr X paused thoughtfully, and Shepard could've sworn a smile grin appear at the corner of Mr X's shadow-hidden countenance. "If you need any help out there ... Shepard ... Maybe I could help. Goodbye for now, Shepard."_

_

* * *

  
_**THREE MONTHS (A QUARTER OF A YEAR) LATER**

Shepard awoke with a pain in his head that felt like the M-90 Cain had just bombed his cranium.

_Ah ... freakin' hell ... I haven't been this trashed since my wedding ... _Shepard found himself thinking as he woke up. Then a devilish smirk played across his lips. _Speaking of that ..._

"Good ... morning, Sleeping Beauty," Shepard joked, groaning as he stretched his stiff limbs, his hand sliding down the smooth skin of Miranda's back.

"Ooh ... and good morning to you as well, fine sir ..." Miranda replied throatily, her hand tracing random patterns across Shepard's well-built abdomen. "Eleven in the morning and still feeling ... _frisky _...?" she purred when she felt Shepard spasm a little.

_Now that ... that is just unfair, Miri, _Shepard protested in his head.

Grinning broadly, Shepard held the side of Miranda's face with one hand and kissed her, holding it for a long time before he reluctantly broke away, the pain in his head spiking.

"A hangover again, John?" Miranda inquired, sound almost amused. "I thought you weren't addicted anymore ..."

"I'm not," Shepard protested, smirking. "But having some ryncol once in a while, what's the harm?"

"Um, extreme liver tissue damage and the fact you probably drank enough to knock out the entire Clan Urdnot last night?" Miranda chuckled.

Like an unwanted wake-up call, Joker's voice sounded over the ship's intercom. "Hey, Commander? Someone wants to see you in the debriefing room ... and he requested that Miranda be with you."

"Who is it, Joker?" Shepard asked.

"Er ... It's ... Mr X. Miranda's father."

Shepard felt Miranda stiffen at the mention of her father's pseudonym.

"What does that heartless bastard want?" Miranda said, her voice dangerously calm.

"Just for a chat I guess. But I suppose it's pretty important. He just said, 'We need to talk', but it had that 'I want to make something clear' vibe when he said it." Joker responded.

Before Miranda could say anything, Shepard spoke. "Tell him we'll be right there, Joker,"

Miranda was speechless, Shepard could tell at the look of incredulity etched on her face.

"John ..." She began. But Shepard cut her off.

"Just see what he wants, Miri," he said. "Actually ... last time we talked, he was rather ... civil."

"_Civil_?" Disgust was apparent in Miranda's voice.

Shepard counteracted her tone by kissing her, breaking away after a few moments.

"Just ... just hear him out. It's been a long time since you heard from him. He seems different than the tyrannical father you described."

Shepard was about to find out just _how _much Mr X had changed over the years.

* * *

  
"Shepard. I see you wanted to hear me out." Mr X said. He was lounging on a red velvet chair in a dimmed room, sipping a glass of what appeared to be red wine. His face was still hidden in the shadows of the dimmed room.

"Not just me. I brought someone with me." Shepard said as Miranda stepped into the hologram projector.

Mr X froze. If Shepard could've seen his face, it must've been etched with shock. "Miranda ... I ... I thought she wouldn't come."

"I came here with Shepard; I didn't come here for you," Miranda spat, anger flitting across her face.

Mr X sighed very softly. "I understand your anger at me, Miranda. I understand your resentfulness; years have passed, and I've moved on from my fanatical dreams."

"I didn't believe you when I heard that you'd stopped funding Cerberus in exchange for getting Oriana back."

Mr X sighed again. "Miranda, if only you knew what had happened." No one responded, so Mr X continued. "Oriana was not a product of genetic engineering, though her genes were ... 'tampered' with later on. When I was younger, I loved one of my employees very much. My second-in-command, I believe.

"We had an illicit affair, resulting in Oriana's birth. My excuse for her birth was that Oriana was part of my ... 'experiments'. No one knew the truth except her and I. Miranda, I was never planning on making Oriana your ... 'successor', so to speak. In fact ...

"I used to think that a child was a mere object. Something to be examined and possibly thrown away if it proved ultimately useless. Cold? In hindsight... absolutely; we did not have a child growing inside us, we have no intrinsic nurture capability, Miranda. I thought love for a child was based on the love for their mother and the need to be complete with her.

"I can tell you now, Miranda, that as soon as I saw Oriana born, all those preconceptions were shattered in the wail of her tears. Here was someone I could have a fresh start with, to help grow, and yes, to be complete with the woman I loved. I thought the old saying that someone could 'die from grief' to be nothing more than an old adage, a pathetic plot-point from a Hollywood movie entirely too romantic, and completely unrealistic.

"Oriana's kidnapping broke her mother's heart; I watched helplessly and impotently as the one woman I ever loved withered and died from grief as surely as the cancer in her bowels consumed her."

Mr X was silent for a brief moment. "Shepard; I once told you that we were more alike than you thought possible. Now ... well, now you know why and how I can say that." And despite everything, what Mr X had said was scarily mirroring Shepard and Miranda's post-Lazarus Project relationship. _Loved his second-in-command? An illicit affair? At least he nailed that part, _Shepard snorted inwardly.

"Enough with the sob stories," Shepard said in a ruthless tone much unlike him. "I had a feeling you wanted to discuss more than this."

Mr X paused thoughtfully. "I know you, Commander Shepard." he said softly. "You're not as stoic as you seem. You're not the near-emotionless soldier that people profess you are. You have experienced loss before ...

"Like the loss of your crewmates after you fought the Reapers." Shepard lowered his head slightly and didn't respond, his mouth pressed in a thin line. Mr X continued.

"Lieutenant Jacob Taylor was serving aboard one of the Alliance Frigates in the front line, which was eventually destroyed by Harbinger. Jack was part of the defense team against the Reapers who would target the Citadel; she later died after taking down a Reaper. Professor Mordin Solus was serving upon one of the Salarian Dreadnoughts that was blown up in the defense of the Citadel. The Asari Justicar Samara was serving upon the Destiny Ascension, and while the Destiny Ascension survived the attack, the Justicar was killed due to a direct blast from Harbinger. The Drell assassin Thane Krios died later from Keppler's Syndrome after surviving the battle.

"How many others have you lost, Commander? There was the extremely-talented Quarian trooper and engineer, Yar'Maron vas Narxis, who was killed when the starship he was serving aboard was destroyed by the Reapers, Urdnot Wrage, a notable Krogan warrior and one of Urdnot Wrex's personal guard, who died in the defense of the Citadel, Praxel Auronis, one of the rare Turians to serve in the Cabals, suffocated after his hardsuit was damaged when the dreadnought he was serving aboard was crippled by Harbinger, Matriarch Loraya, once an Asari commando who later served as a level-minded tactician aboard the Destiny Ascension, and she met a fate similar to the Justicar Samara's, Rawxor D'Rath, the batarian bounty hunter, decapitated due to ship damage, causing shrapnel to cut through the ship's armor and cause his death, Delta Necro, the prodigious young mercenary sniper ... killed in action during the defense of the Citadel."

Mr X took a pause to sip some more of his wine. "At the very least, you are no stranger to loss. And, over the years ... neither am I.

"Take some time to reflect upon what I said, Commander. You as well, Miranda. Just because a man has done ... immoral things doesn't mean he won't regret it. Just because a man hides in the shadows doesn't make him a villain. Just because a captain ... can forge a ruthless, stoic facade doesn't mean that he's ... above emotions." With that, Mr X lost the channel.

* * *

  
Shepard was sitting on the side of his bed, eleven hours later, shirtless, staring at the ground, as he had been doing for the past five minutes. He had been pondering over Mr X's words after having another council meeting.

_Was he right? _Is _he right? Are we really that ... alike? _

A part of Shepard thought that Mr X's words sounded like something out of a lame Hollywood clichè, how the hero reflected the villain he was fighting. But just because it sounded like a clichè doesn't mean it can't be true ...

Shepard's thoughts were interrupted when Miranda entered the room, looking like she had been thinking about what Mr X had said as well.

"Hey," he greeted her, giving her a weak smile. "Back from the meeting?"

"Yeah. The Council's arguing, as usual ..." She sat down next to Shepard, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Troubles momentarily forgotten, Shepard turned to Miranda, held the side of her face with one hand and gave her a very heated kiss, which, after a few moments, resulted in Miranda lying on top of the commander, who was having a hard time keeping his self-control from cracking. Shepard broke off, voice slightly raspy.

"You've been thinking about it as well, right?" he asked, one hand brushing Miranda's dark brown locks behind her shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"You know who I mean," he said before Miranda continued where Shepard had left off. "Your father-and-what he-said -" Shepard struggled to get out in-between kisses.

Miranda abruptly broke off and rolled over, lying next to Shepard. "Yeah," she said after a moment. "I have."

Shepard closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

"What if he's right?" Miranda asked, sounding somewhat worried.

"That's what I've been wondering as well." Shepard said, sighing.

"I wanted to believe what I did for Oriana was right ... I put so much effort in making sure that she was safe with her adopted parents, that she was happy ... But what my father said ..."

Shepard wrapped Miranda in a tight embrace, kissing her cheek. "What you did _was _right; I don't think Oriana would be any happier with a dying mother and a completely overprotective father. Now, she has a family ... and she knows that she has a sister that loves her. Thanks to you."

Miranda reveled in the warmth of Shepard's embrace. "Thank you, John ... For everything. These past few years have been ... the best of my life."

"No need to thank me for that. Just consider it ... payment. For bringing me back to life. For giving me a reason to live."

A mischievous smile flickered across Miranda's face. "Well, mister, I don't think you've been paid in full yet ..."

Shepard's eyes snapped open, widening. He grinned broadly. "Y'know what? I wholeheartedly agree with you. C'mere."

Their discussion about Mr X could wait.

* * *

A/N - What a way to end a chapter: with poorly-written smut. xD As I said, Ch. 5 will follow up on Ch. 3. Be patient folks, and please review!


	5. Chapter Five: Devotion in Death

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Commander Shepard, Kelly Chambers, Zaeed Massani, or Miranda Lawson.**

Yes, two chapters in a day! Epic win.

This continues where Chapter Three left off. Enjoy, 'cause I have to go to bed now.

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**Chapter Five: Devotion in Death**  
_ "__Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.__ "_**  
- Xun Zi**

**THREE YEARS AGO**

_Kelly had called for some time to talk with Shepard._

_"Commander ... I wanted to talk to you about Delta."_

_Shepard hesitated, and then nodded._

_Kelly sat down opposite to Shepard. "I ... well, I noticed some changes to Delta's behavior recently."_

_Shepard sat forward, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"_

_"Well, reviewing the combat reports and mission reports ... I noticed that he seems less motivated as of late."_

Of course he's not motivated, _Shepard thought grimly. _Hard to be motivated to fight someone's enemy when that someone is threatening you to fight for them.

_"He's gotten more distracted, less energetic, more mopey and tired. Resulting in more injuries and a worse result from missions. If he keeps up like this ... He's one of the team's best, regardless of how young he is. If he stays like this, he'll probably die before we even face the Reapers."_

_Shepard mentally sighed to himself._

_"What have I done ...?"_

* * *

**THREE YEARS LATER**

"Heads up!" Shepard shouted as he saw an Eclipse Merc preparing a biotic blast at Zaeed. Rushing forward, he Warped the merc's biotic barrier and ran right up to her, blasting a clean slug in the Asari's face. As the corpse toppled over, Shepard's shields suddenly went down as he saw a Salarian merc overload the shield generator. Cursing, he fired back even as he felt a few rounds pierce his armor.

Three, four, five rounds to the head and the Salarian went down like a sack of hammers. Shepard half-staggered, half-sprinted to cover while Miranda and Zaeed finished off the last three stragglers.

"Ah ... shit ..." Shepard muttered, collapsing, feeling the holes in his armor, which were seeping blood. He suddenly found it much harder to breathe; his chest felt like it was being compressed. "Miranda! Do we ... still have ... some medi-gel?"

"Oh, God, John ..." Miranda rushed over to his side, her omni-tool flashing as she applied the last unit of medi-gel.

"Zaeed would be using this if I hadn't rushed forward," Shepard coughed up a little blood.

"Your over-protectiveness is getting ahead of you, Shepard," Zaeed muttered. "I'd've been fine."

Miranda helped Shepard up as Zaeed handed his rifle back to him.

"C'mon; let's keep moving," Shepard managed painfully. He could feel the effects of the medi-gel taking hold of his wounds, but it was still painful to talk much and slightly difficult to breathe properly.

Shepard staggered towards what the radio transmissions he heard described as where the mysterious Nex Matris was residing over the mission for revenge - a small encampment near the gravesites. He could pretty much see it right in front of him, clear and -

"BLOOOD PAAACK!!!"

_Uh-oh._

Well, maybe not particularly clear and straight ahead.

* * *

"_Madame Matris_," the human crooned. "I assure you this particular branch of Blue Suns -"

"I've had enough of your words, Marcham." the Asari spat, finger twitching upon the grip of the handgun holstered on her belt. "I didn't say I wanted your mercs to kill Shepard. I said I wanted your mercs to funnel Shepard into a vulnerable spot so that _I _could deal with him."

"Of course, Madame Matris, of course. If I must, I will drive Shepard to you myself."

The Asari snorted derisively. "Hypocrite. You just want the money. All I want are your mercs to do the job. You won't get paid if you perform poorly, Marcham."

"I understand completely. And maybe you're right about one thing."

It happened in less than a second. The Asari turned around and found the human about to fire his handgun, which had been aimed perfectly at her cranium. Using her biotics, the Asari flung the human back against the wall and pulled out her handgun.

"Humans - most of you just think you're all so smart. Go to hell, Marcham."

Blood splattered on her face when she pulled the trigger.

Sighing, the Asari looked out the window of the drop-shuttle that was prepared to leave at anytime, and anger flitted across her face, her eyes narrowing when she saw the approaching figure.

_Shepard. _

"You're going to pay," she muttered, opening the door of the drop-shuttle before kicking Marcham's corpse out of the door.

* * *

Shepard was sorry that they didn't have more medi-gel, because he could pretty much feel his bones almost breaking and the areas where his flesh was split. He had almost worried Miranda to death when he'd collapsed in battle two times before hastily getting back up.

"Shepard," Zaeed said after dealing with the Blood Pack mercenaries. "You alright?"

Shepard managed to stand up straighter before answering. "I feel ... like shit, Zaeed. But ... good thing we're close to the encampment already. Gonna take out all my anger on this Nex Matris."

Zaeed nodded, his gray eyes regarding Shepard. "Then let's keep moving."

Shepard took one step and froze when he saw something drop out of the drop-shuttle ahead of them. And then he saw another figure jump out, the silhouette of a head-fringe making him realize it was an Asari.

"Nex Matris, I presume?" Shepard yelled at the figure. It didn't respond. With words, for the matter.

The Asari started to glow an intense blue, and before Shepard could even realize what was going on, a wave of biotics knocked out Zaeed and Miranda in less than second.

_Shit! _Shepard raised his rifle levelly.

"Commander Shepard," the Asari snarled. "Pleasure to finally meet you, you dead bastard,"

That was the last thing Shepard heard before he was knocked out.

* * *

Miranda woke up to a light - the sunrise on Alchera. She shook her head, shaking the grogginess from her mind, but then a deathly chill grasped her heart when she remembered what had happened.

_Shepard! Oh, God, John ..._

She rushed over to Zaeed's unconscious body and shook him frantically.

He mumbled something before sleepily opening his eyes. "Where's the fire, Jessie ...?" he muttered before realizing what happened. "Bloody hell, where's that Asari bitch that knocked me out?!"

"She took Shepard," Miranda said, not being to spot a corpse and noting that the drop-shuttle the Asari - Nex Matris - owned was gone. _And ... and Delta Necro's casket as well, _Miranda noted grimly.  
_  
_"Joker, this is Miranda, do you copy?" Miranda said over the radio.

"Hell yeah, I do. Where the hell have you guys been? It's been hours since you set off."

"Joker, get the drop-shuttle over here _now. _The Asari - she took Shepard."

"_What?! _Whaddya mean 'she took Shepard', what the sh-"

"Joker, just get over here now. Tell EDI to start tracking a drop-shuttle other than the Kodiak that left Alchera's orbit. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

* * *

"Wake up, Shepard," a cold Asari voice spat, and Shepard felt a bucket of cold water splash over his face.

Coughing and spluttering, Shepard opened his eyes and saw that he was tightly strapped to a classic interrogation-style metal chair, completely cuffed and chained.

"Nex ... Matris ..." Shepard managed, the wounds in stomach starting to reopen.

"Yeah, and if you had taken a few language classes instead of threatening young mercenaries, you'd've known that Nex Matris means 'Death Mother' in Latin. And I _earned _that name, Shepard," the Asari - Nex Matris - was pacing around the room, hefting a handgun.

"What ... what do you ... want with me ...?"

"With you? Pretty simple; _revenge_."

"For Delta?"

"Precisely."

"Why?"

Nex Matris paused. "Delta Necro ... I gave him that codename. Short for Delta Necrosis. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Necrosis. Delta was the fourth. I had an interest in Human languages for a while. Necrosis derives from Necrotic, in Greek, meaning the dead. Necrosis, in its usual definition, meaning a part of a person has died, maybe due to lack of blood flow. Same goes for Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta Necrosis. Delta shortened it to Necro after a while. I was fine with it. Why Necrosis? Because ...

"I adopted Beta, Gamma, and Delta. Alpha was my own daughter, Beta was a Turian orphan I found, Gamma was a Batarian, and Delta ... Well, you know him. They had skills, I can tell it from the start when I laid my eyes on them. So I decided to hone them.

"They were all orphans. I suppose an emotional, figurative part of them died when their parents died, hence Necrosis. Names don't really have meaning to me, but I figured the nameplay was a nice touch.

"As for why I want revenge ... Delta was something special. I never liked humans. When I first found Delta in the slums of Earth after a contact called me, I was skeptical. But I was feeling merciful. I let him live, and I trained him.

"He was a prodigy. He was the youngest one I had trained, and the quickest learner. He started his Passing much earlier than Alpha, Beta, or Gamma. I'd never seen such a human before; a young, determined boy with so much skill. As hard as it was to admit it, but I loved him like I loved Alpha, my daughter. When he started his Passing ... Well, that was when you found him.

"He was going to wipe out a Red Sand smuggling ring, I recall. Passings can take even a year. So I waited. I waited for a year, and after he didn't show up, I called my contacts, and they discover he was killed during the Defense of the Citadel against the Reapers. Led to his death. By the famous ... Commander ... Shepard ..."

Nex Matris voiced those words very carefully.

"You could've let Delta complete his mission, and then recruited him. Threatened him with that damn Zaeed Massani, ironically, a figure that Delta feared and worshiped. Delta was talented enough to take only a day to finish his Passing. Would that have killed you, Shepard? No, the galactic hero Commander Shepard couldn't have waited. He was too damn intent on saving the galaxy and then making himself an icon."

Anger crossed Shepard's features. "Delta sacrificed himself for the greater good of the galaxy; I recruited him and did what was necessary to keep him in line. Not for any personal gain."

"That's easy for you to say; I lost one of the only things I ever loved. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

Shepard closed his eyes, the faces of his dead crewmates flashing between his eyes. "Yes. I do." he said softly.

"Enough with the snark, Shepard. I'm not here to listen to it, anyway. You die, right here, right -"

As Nex Matris pressed the handgun to Shepard's temple, the door to the interrogation room blew open in a frenzy of biotics and shrapnel. And entering the room, her biotics pushed to the maximum extent, was Miranda, anger apparent in his countenance.

"Lay a hand on him, _bitch_, and I'll make you pay," she growled, raising a hand.

Nex Matris, for a moment, looked absolutely shocked and terrified, but then her face resumed its neutral facade. Narrowly dodging a biotic attack from the furious Miranda, the Asari counteracted with a swift biotic blow, barely held with Miranda's biotic barrier.

"You - won't - stop - me - from - my - revenge -" Nex Matris managed, obviously exhausted from trying to keep Miranda's biotics at bay.

_Blam._

The Asari's eyes suddenly went wide with disbelief, and then her body crumpled to the ground, as Shepard stood over her corpse, the Asari's handgun in his grasp.

"Delta ..." was Nex Matris's last word.

"... Is at peace." Shepard finished before the Asari's eyes closed in finality. "Be with him."

Throwing down the handgun, Shepard leaned against the interrogation chair, the cuffs broken. Small pieces of metal were stuck in Shepard's arms and wrist, due to him using a mix of biotics and anger-fed strength to break out from the cuffs.

"Miranda ... Thank you ... For rescuing my sorry ass. I don't know ... what I'd do without you." Shepard managed, blood seeping out of his stomach. He only realized that a rather large piece of shrapnel was sticking out of his side before the pain overwhelmed him and he fell unconscious for the second time that day.

* * *

Waking up to a harsh fluorescent light, Shepard found himself back on his bed in his quarters, an IV drop hooked up to his arm, and his abdomen heavily bandaged.

Miranda was sitting by his side, worry etched on her face. Shepard didn't think she was aware that he'd woken up.

"You're looking at me like I'm about to die, Miri," Shepard chuckled humorlessly, just hoping to provoke a response from Miranda. "I'm okay, I'm right here."

"Dear God, John ..." Miranda sighed, gently stroking his bandaged arm. "I thought you were going to die. You went through three hours of surgery, and I stayed in the med-bay the whole time. It's been four days since the incident with Nex Matris. I was ... I was afraid you wouldn't wake up."

Miranda buried her face in Shepard's chest as the weary commander closed his eyes, enjoying the peace of the moment, thinking about what had happened.

While it was true that Shepard had had to threaten Delta just to keep him in the squad ...

_It's not like I enjoyed it, _Shepard thought to himself. _I did what was necessary. Being in command and having to make a decision, a decision of a child's freedom and the fate of the galaxy ... sometimes it makes you wish you weren't in that position, that you didn't have to make those choices, that you could be normal for a change._

Shepard opened his eyes and caught the sight of Miranda sleeping, her head resting on his chest. _Of course, me being normal ... That would mean I wouldn't be in this situation._

He had found a reason to live.

* * *

A/N - Enjoyed it? I hope so. Don't forget to review! I'll probably be posting Ch 6 by tomorrow or so. And, yes, this chapter was rushed in the end. Sorry bout that.


	6. Chapter Six: Cause and Effect

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Commander Shepard, Urdnot Wrex, or Urdnot Grunt.**

What time is it, kids? Yes! It's time for another cliffhanger chapter!

. *awaits for readers to kill me*

Okay, seriously though, I'm sorry I had to make it a cliffhanger, but I promise you Chapter Seven will be more rewarding.

Anyway! Ahem. Let's begin the party.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Cause and Effect**  
_ "Honor isn't about making the right choices. It's about dealing with the consequences."_**  
- Anonymous**

** TWO YEARS AGO  
**  
_Commander John Alan Shepard of the Normandy SR-2, the first human Spectre, savior of the galaxy thrice-over, was about to confront the biggest challenge of his life._

_Becoming a father._

_His son was only a week old, thankfully born when he and Miranda were both on leave, and he finally found himself at a stalemate with his emotions. He loved Miranda, and he had decided to love his son unconditionally, no matter what. That wasn't the problem._

_It was the problem of just _who _was his son going to be when he grew up._

_He could imagine so many problems that could happen; what if he never got enough time to spend with his son, what if something happened to him on the Normandy, what if the constant begrudging fame of being the son of Commander Shepard doesn't suit him, what if his son - Andrew - just wanted to be a normal child, what if ...?_

_"Stop it," he chided himself. "You're worrying too much, and when you worry too much, you can't think properly, when you can't think properly, people _die_, John ..."_

_He felt himself unconsciously reaching for a bottle of liquor that was sitting on the coffee table, but he stopped himself._

_"No, _no_, I'm not going to drink myself to an early grave ... There are higher factors to be aware of. Andrew won't have an alcoholic for a father, _damnit _..."_

_It was 3:49 AM, and yet he found himself unable to sleep, even with Miranda by his side. So, here he was, hunched over on the couch, dressed in only his boxer shorts, tired and stressed out as almighty hell, having been awake for the past half an hour, still thinking about the future of his one-week-old child._

_He snorted at the situation, smiling a little._

_"Selfless as always, John, selfless as always ..." he muttered to himself. "The Skyllian Blitz, saving the Citadel council, the fight against the Collectors, using yourself as bait for the Reapers ..." He paused, smiling sadly. "What would you say, dad, if you were here?"_

_That was it. Shepard had never spent enough time with his father. During his N7, his father, Alan, had died defending his crewmates from batarian slavers when he refused to be taken. Their ship had been docked on a colony, and Alan had held the batarians off so that the ship could leave. An honorable death._

_When Shepard had realized that he loved Miranda, he found a reason to keep living. Now, after his son was born ... Well, he wasn't going to go down easily._

_"What about you, dad?" Shepard muttered. "Did you think of mom and I when you were gunning down the slavers? Did you ever think of how devastated we would be when we lost you?"_

_Shepard snorted derisively at the idea of 'selfishness in a selfless act'. But, still ... Being a hero doesn't mean you have to die._

_"You could've stayed on the ship when it took off. You died a hero, but you left us alone. Were you ... Did you ever think about us ... ?"_

_Shepard was determined not to make the same mistake his father did. His family was his top priority; he'd be damned if anything else got in the way._

* * *

  
**TWO YEARS LATER**

"Commander, we entering Tuchanka's orbit. ETA in ten minutes." Joker said over the intercom.

Shepard who had just exited the shower, nodded mindlessly to himself. "Acknowledged," he muttered through the voice receptacle.

Pulling on his armor and strapping his Tempest sub-machine gun to his hip holster, he mentally reviewed his purpose for going to Tuchanka.

Wrex had requested Shepard's presence because a few of the clans that have not yet united with Clan Urdnot have been causing a lot of trouble lately. Instead of uniting themselves with Clan Urdnot, they believed that they could overthrow Clan Urdnot and retrieve the genophage cure data that was in Wrex's possession.

Despite the foolishness of the claim, that a few clans could combat Clan Urdnot's mighty forces, over the past few weeks, Clan Urdnot had been taking casualties; on retaliatory raids on those clans, no one reported survivors coming back.

Wrex called in a favor with Shepard, fearing that the other clans may have a weapon that they had never seen before.

And Wrex would _never _fear anything unless it was serious. _Deadly _serious. To correct that statement, it should more accurately be said that Wrex didn't even _know _fear. The massive, scarred Krogan, who had served with Shepard in the days of the original SSV Normandy pursing the rogue Spectre Saren Arterius, was 'one scary and tough son of a bitch', in Shepard's words.

Shepard headed down to the hangar bay to get into the drop shuttle. He had to find out just _what _could make the tough and tenacious Urdnot Wrex feel uneasy.

* * *

  
As the drop shuttle descended upon the surface of Tuchanka, Shepard saw Grunt waiting at the entrance. Approaching the krogan, Shepard found that even Grunt was a sight for sore eyes - or at least a reminder of the older days when things were simpler. _And had less deaths. _

"Battlemaster," Grunt greeted Shepard with a slight bow. Shepard nodded respectfully in return. The tank-bred Krogan was one of the survivors of the Defense of the Citadel; Shepard remembered he had stationed a few of his crewmates at the Citadel because he knew the Reapers would attack there; Grunt, Tali, and Miranda.

He had told them that the Citadel was an important factor should they win the battle, but in all honesty, he had stationed the three there because he knew that the Reapers wouldn't target the Citadel as the highest priority until after the destruction of the Defense Fleet, the unofficial nickname branded upon the combined forces of the Alliance Navy, the Destiny Ascension, the Flotilla's frigates, the Turian and Salarian dreadnoughts, and the Geth dropships - in short, he did it to protect them, for their importance, whether to the clans of Tuchanka, the Admiralty Board, or just to the commander's personal life.

Grunt had been stationed on Tuchanka as an ambassador of sorts, and also to review Clan Urdnot's progress on discovering a cure for the genophage. Unlike Clan Weyrloc and despite Wrex's determined demeanor to cure the genophage, Clan Urdnot's leader wasn't going to resort to immoral testing or experimentation just to get results.

_Too bad Mordin isn't here ... _the commander found himself thinking. The serious and brilliantly-minded Salarian professor had died serving aboard one of the Salarian dreadnoughts that had been blown up by Harbinger. Even if Shepard doubted Mordin would help with the cure for the genophage, losing another member of his squad never sat well with him.

"How's life been on Tuchanka?" Shepard asked, hoping to instigate a bit of idle talk and gain a more friendly ground with his old friend.

"Good, good ... Urdnot Wrex has made ... progress ... with the genophage cure. No need for ... experiments ... like Clan Weyrloc. The loss of the Salarian doctor is ... a blow to progress. But we will continue." Grunt paused thoughtfully, straightening his posture. "But, never mind that. Wrex has requested for your presence. Something has ... happened to the scout teams."

"Do you have any idea what could've happened?" Shepard asked, hoping that Okeer's tank imprints had at least hinted at something powerful enough to take down several teams of krogan scouts and warriors without any word from them.

But, as Shepard had expected, Grunt shook his massive head. "I do not know. I have theories, but it is unlikely that Tuchanka ... No. I should let Wrex discuss this matter." With that, the krogan led Shepard through the halls of Clan Urdnot.

Wrex was sitting atop his stone throne, looking as threatening as ever. His scarred eyes regarded Shepard.

"Shepard," Wrex greeted. Same old Wrex - a krogan of few words and straight to the point.

"Wrex. You wanted me to see you about the missing teams?" Shepard inquired, crossing his arms.

"Yes. I believe you know the basics ... A few of Clan Urdnot's finest warriors and scouts have disappeared; no blood, no bodies, no radio communications. None of it makes sense. I want your help, Shepard. I fear that the threats the other clans have been making are not just lies and taunts. They want the genophage cure data for themselves, and the loss of our scouts and warriors only strengthen the fact that they may have some sort of advantage over us."

"What kind of help do you need?"

"I want you to lead a search party to the areas where the teams went missing. I have no doubt in your abilities, Shepard; you have proven yourself a fearless warrior many times before. Do you accept my request?"

Shepard nodded. "If it means peace between the clans, I'll help you, Wrex. Where should I start?"

Wrex grunted in approval. "You have my thanks, Shepard. Now, I'll tell the chief scout to outfit you with our finest warriors. But, still, Shepard; I advise extreme caution. Life on Tuchanka is dangerous, no matter what. I fear things have taken a turn for the worse."

* * *

  
** TWO YEARS AGO**

Shepard beheld the horrible form of Harbinger as he watched from the bridge. The only other Reaper he had ever laid eyes on was Sovereign, and even though he had never admitted it, Shepard had been terrified when he saw it.

"Fire at will!" Shepard roared over the radio link hooked up to the Defense Fleet's ships.

Instantly, Shepard watched as the Normandy's Thanix cannon blasted Harbinger and the dreadnoughts began their heavy barrage.

But it wasn't enough.

Shepard watched in horror as Harbinger began to fire, and for some reason, the destruction of the original SSV Normandy flashed between his eyes.

Joker reacted fast as he narrowly dodged the beam of energy, but then it managed to graze the side of the Normandy. The beam of energy, no matter how small, was enough to damage it moderately, shaking the entire ship. Shepard was crushed against the side of the wall, Joker crying out in pain as he was thrown about, both of them forced to watch as Harbinger readied another attack, this one possibly fatal ...

_"Agh!" Shepard yelled, jolting awake and instantly sitting up. Blinking a few times, he took a note of his surroundings; the Captain's Quarters of the Normandy SR-2, with its gray walls, illuminated fish tank, and wide open space that the Alliance fleet's ships didn't have the luxury of._

_And with Miranda sleeping right next to him. Or had been, that is._

_Her eyes snapped open at the sound of Shepard's cry. There was a moment of tense silence, broken by Shepard's heavy sigh as he closed his eyes, the memory still vivid in his mind._

_"John?" Miranda inquired softly, concerned._

_Shepard shook his head. "No, it ... it was just a nightmare. Sorry I woke you up." He shifted a little before laying back on the bed, unable to sleep. To think he had been so close to losing everything ..._

_"Do you want to talk about it?" Miranda asked sincerely, laying a hand on his chest._

_Shepard kept silent for a few seconds. Then he sighed. "I was back in the Normandy when we were leading the Defense Fleet against Harbinger. We started firing, but then Harbinger fired back ... it should've barely scratched us but it shook the entire ship ... I got crushed against the wall up in the bridge while Joker was thrown out of his seat ... Harbinger got ready for another direct attack ... I thought I was going to die._

_"I can't say I'm not afraid of death, I've had my fair share of near-death encounters, but in that moment, when I was so helpless, when I had to watch as Harbinger prepared to blow up the ship ... I was ... well, I was scared shitless. More so than I had ever been."_

_Shepard paused, wrapping an arm around Miranda and began to stroke her hair. "I thought ... I thought that was the end, that the galaxy's best and brightest was going to be destroyed as easily as stepping on a cockroach, that ... I would never see you again."_

_Shepard shrugged. "I guess ... Thank God I was wrong. Thank God that Joker was the one that didn't panic and told EDI to take the helm."_

_Shepard decided, in retrospect, that he was not afraid of death; no, he was only afraid of losing the ones he loved most._

* * *

  
** TWO YEARS LATER**

"Blood Pack," Grunt spat as he blasted the last Vorcha's head with a point-blank shotgun shell. "Figures."

"But it couldn't have been simple mercenaries that killed or abducted Clan Urdnot's teams," Shepard mumbled. "I think the mercs were just here as a distraction, maybe. Or perhaps just some extra muscle to guard something of Clan Kreavan's."

Shepard's eyes darted amongst the rubble of past clan warfare; yes, there was blood, indicating a fight perhaps, but nothing that pointed them in the right direction. But ...

"What the hell?" Shepard muttered, stepping forward to investigate something on the rocks. Talon marks - huge ones. If looked at from a distance, it would appear as simple scratches, figuratively camouflaging itself in the area of destruction, but if looked at closely ...

Grunt came up to investigate the strange markings. "Doesn't look like anything I've seen before; don't think any local beast could inflict markings like these."

"Urdnot Grunt! Over here!" one of the scouts shouted. Shepard and Grunt came over to investigate what the scout had found.

"It's an entrance, maybe into Kreavan territory." the scout noted. The 'entrance' was a crude human-sized hole seemingly blasted by explosives. Experimenting, the scout grabbed a rock and threw it down the hole. There was a dull _clunk _as it hit the bottom, which didn't seem to be that deep down. There were several handholds carved on the sides of the interior.

"But it only looks like a human could fit in there; how could any of Clan Kreavan's get in there?" one of the warriors inquired.

Shepard unholstered his assault rifle and shone the light inside the hole. Sure enough, it looked like there was a tunnel leading off, and some blood smeared against the walls.

"I'm going in," Shepard decided. He turned to Grunt.

"Grunt, stay here and guard the entrance. Keep your radio on at all times. This might be the best lead you guys have gotten the whole month."

Grunt nodded briskly before motioning to the other Krogan. Turning back to Shepard, his narrow Krogan eyes shone with caution. "Be careful, Shepard; I don't like the sound of this. I feel like there's a bigger ... side ... to this than any of us know."

* * *

  
The tunnel smelt like blood. Blood and corpses.

"Blood, corpses, and piss," Shepard snorted, annoyed that he had worn his Kuwashii visor instead of the N7 Breather Helmet as he crawled through the narrow tunnel. Up ahead, he could see a faint florescent light, stray wires and shards of metal lined the unbroken sides of the tunnel, sort of like a ventilation shaft that got bombed by a Grenade Launcher.

"Shepard, do you copy?" Grunt's guttural voice sounded through the radio feed, gunfire, explosions, and war cries apparent in the background.

"Yeah, I'm here. What's going on up there?" Shepard asked.

"Kreavan warriors swarmed us when they went on a raid!" Grunt paused, and Shepard could hear a shotgun blast and a krogan's death cry. "I love it! All this battle and blood and bodies; haven't had this much fun since the Collectors! Don't come back up too soon!"

Shepard rolled his eyes as he continued crawling through the 'ventilation shaft'. Despite being a tank-born Krogan Berserker, deep down, Grunt was just as primal and bloodthirsty as the rest of his naturally-born krogan brethren.

"Er ... Alright then, Grunt. I'll radio you if I find anything interesting."

After a few minutes of crawling, Shepard finally found the exit of the ventilation shaft. Poking his head out and taking note of his surroundings, it led to a corridor that looked like some sort of scrapped science facility. Florescent lights messily installed on the ceiling flickered; stray wires were either split and crackling or stuck to the walls. Blood and other stains were plastered to the walls; shrapnel and glass fragments were strewn across the dimly-lit corridor floor.

Carefully jumping out, the only sound Shepard could hear was the thumping of his heart.

_Right, or left? Right or left? _Shepard thought to himself.

At that moment, Shepard heard a scream and a gunshot ring unmistakably from the right corridor.

"Right it is, then," he muttered to himself before breaking out into a jog.

If he had been more perceptive, Shepard might've noticed the flicker of a shadow from the left corridor, and the bloodshot, livid yellow eyes that regarded Shepard with a coldness and malice that one could consider almost inhuman.

* * *

A/N - Yes, cliffhanger ending, but I promise you I'll directly follow it up with Chapter Seven. Hope you enjoyed it :D


	7. Chapter Seven: Against All Odds

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, Commander Shepard, Urdnot Wrex, Garrus Vakarian, or the Shadow Broker.**

And the journey continues! After the cliffhanger, precisely. But, unfortunately, what does this chapter end in ...?

Er ... *runs away before readers can guess*

Okay, in all seriousness though, I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I'm not 100% happy with this. I promise I'll add an appropriate balance of sappy scenes, smut, action, and plot thickening stuff in the next chapter. Yeah. So, let the story begin!

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Against All Odds**  
_ "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences."_**  
- Anonymous**  
_  
_**THREE YEARS AGO**

_Joker was waiting for the commander to come up to the bridge and prepare for the final assault against the Reapers._

_This was it; this was the _real _Suicide Mission. Not as simple or trivial as the Collector Base. The Collectors had weaknesses, and the crew already had countermeasures against whatever strengths the Collectors had. Not to mention that Shepard had been more than a formidable foe for the bug-eyed monstrosities._

_But these were the Reapers, sentient starships that had wiped out some of the most advanced races in the history of the galaxy. Shepard was only human; hell, Joker didn't think that any of them would be making it out alive. This was the only chance that the galaxy wouldn't be completely wiped out by the Reapers._

_Shepard had indeed prepared. After a few weeks of gathering enough resources to upgrade the Normandy and give it half the strength of a turian dreadnought, the diplomacy was easier due to the increasing Reaper attacks. Dreadnoughts and frigates had their armaments upgraded, their armor plating strengthened, and races frantically tried to improve their technology, whether for shields or firearms or bio-amps._

_It was chaos._

_His daydream was interrupted when the commander tromped up to the cockpit._

_"Normandy's ready?" Shepard asked, outfitted in the new prototype armor Mordin had made. The Salarian professor had worked on a new armor for the commander in case they had to do any real fighting. "Thicker and lighter than any other armor out there," Mordin had proudly said, displaying the black and red prototype N7 armor._

_"Sure is, commander. We're getting ready to meet at the Defense Point. Nervous?"_

_Shepard nodded his head. "As I'll ever be. Talk to me, Joker. The tension's killing me here."_

_"Er, alright. Hey, commander; I finally found out how you're so fit and buff and everything."_

_Shepard looked mightily amused. "Is that so?"_

_"Yeah. Well, you know what they say ..." Joker smirked, trying hard not to laugh. "Having sex is equivalent to running a mile ..."_

_Shepard snorted. "Way to ease the tension, Joker,"_

_"No, no, it's true! I always thought that the poor bastard that tried to take you out via fisticuffs was really a poor bastard; you'd knock his teeth out. At first I always thought you were on steroids or something, but then I noticed every time you left your cabin, Miranda wasn't too far behind, and you always had this spring in your step ..."_

_Shepard leaned against the wall next to the airlock. "Keep your eyes in front, helmsman. Don't want you crashing us into a planet because you're laughing yourself to death."_

_Joker rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. Next time the Commander asks me to stir up some idle talk, I _won't _talk about his love life."_

_"There might not _be _a next time, Joker." Shepard's voice was deadly serious._

_"As you say, Commander Pessimist. Alright everybody, we're heading out to Defense Point. Keep your hats on, ladies and gentlemen."_

_The blinding flash of the relay preceded the revealing of the Defense Fleet, and Joker had to admit his heart leaped when he saw the sight. This was the biggest event in the history of the galaxy; every race putting their differences aside and uniting to prepare for a war against the galaxy's greatest threat._

_Starships ranging from turian and salarian dreadnoughts to Alliance Navy frigates by the hundreds to the recognizable Destiny Ascension to the geth dropships and the Quarian frigates were set in different formations and ready to fight the Reapers._

_The Normandy swerved and maneuvered carefully to the head of the Defense Fleet._

_"Hook up a comm link to every single damn ship in the Fleet, Joker," Shepard ordered, walking up to the front of the cockpit and facing the voice receptacle._

_"The link's ready, Commander," Joker said._

_Shepard nodded._

_"This is Commander John Alan Shepard of the Normandy SR-2," Shepard began. "Friends, allies, soldiers of the galaxy ... Today, our existence and our future existence stands on a thin line. Over the past month, we have prepared for a war against entities thought to be myth. The realization was swift and we had to react quickly. Your efforts, the efforts of those who fought, who worked for this day will never be forgotten, even in death._

_"It doesn't matter whether we live or die today. What matters is that we ensure that our friends, our children, our relatives, the countless others that reside in the galaxy, from the brightest stars in the sky to the darkest depths of space, that they will have a future to live. I will be _damned _if any of us allow these bastards to eradicate what all of us, our ancestors, our fathers and mothers, ourselves, have worked so hard to accomplish._

_"I never truly understood the meaning of courage. Or the meaning of honor. I thought that being a soldier was as courageous and as honorable as it got. But I was wrong._

_"Being a soldier isn't a factor in courage or honor. What matters is that you have the strength to fight against something, despite everything, despite impossible odds, despite weakness, despite death, despite pain._

_"That's why every man and woman that contributed to this war effort, every warrior that stands in front of me today, you guys are the best the galaxy has to offer. Nothing I have ever seen before can match up to the courage and honor you have._

_"The Reapers? The only advantage they ever had on the galaxy is that the different races spread abound were never united. That changes today. Today, we stand a chance against the Reapers. We must._

_"We stand here today, before the greatest threat in the galaxy, and we plan to stop it. Remember; no matter what happens out there today, keep the thought of your friends, your children, your relatives, of what we are _fighting for _fresh in your mind, and we will prevail."_

_

* * *

  
_**THREE YEARS LATER**

Shepard quickened his pace when the screams hit a crescendo. After a while, Shepard had concluded he was in some sort of old laboratory or medical lab. He had seen a few gurneys, operating tables, crushed vials and empty syringes strewn across in the long winding corridor and in abandoned, connected rooms.

"And the blood as well," Shepard snorted, noting the splashes of blood smeared across the walls of floor, some new, some old.

Shepard found himself in what appeared to be a filing room. There were datapads strewn across the floor and scattered on desks. Curiosity piqued, Shepard stepped forward and lifted one datapad, reading it.

_Day 45: Test Subjects 14 - 17 have shown signs of growth after two dosages (one dosage equivalent to approximately one standard syringe vial) of steroids, particularly in upper torso muscles. Talons on both hands and feet have elongated, and Majherlo thinks it best that we release at least one of the subjects and do a test on combat capabilities in the coming week. Meanwhile, Subject Codename: Dow-13 is being prepared for first test run, due to be released from cyrostasis in two days. Progress on muscle and tissue regeneration capabilities is slow, but initial results are promising. Dow-13 still has a problem with leg motor functions and low threshold due to weak bones (the need for stronger bones was proposed by Doctor Jarod; unlikely to be passed due to spent budget on growth of a thicker hide in order to counteract weak bones); a well-placed attack to the knee could cripple-_

Shepard stopped reading when he heard a primal growl sound from the corridor behind him. There was a rush of shadowy feathers and yellow eyes that appeared out of the corner of his eye.

Instantly dropping the datapad and grabbing his assault rifle, he spun on his feet, trying to keep the shadowy entity in his sights at all times.

The _thing _made another swoop for him.

Shepard narrowly dodged the monstrosity and staggered back to his feet, facing it.

The best way to describe it might be as the wicked cross between a Turian, a Krogan, and a Thorian Creeper, with a mass of ruffled, bloodied black feathers on its back. Its eyes were livid yellow, and the rest of it a deep shade of midnight black. Its arms were muscular like a Krogan, with claws like a Thorian Creeper, and feet like a Turian or maybe a raptor's. The only thing that didn't look right were its thin lower legs, in contrast to its thick, muscular thighs.

Shepard decided that this _thing _was ...

"Dow-13?" he mumbled, hefting his assault rifle.

As though in a response, the thing screeched loud enough to burst his eardrums, and charged.

_A well-placed attack to the knee could cripple; why not?_

Shepard reacted instinctively, attempting to fire at Dow-13's knees, but it was too fast. He had pulled the trigger a split-second before it barreled right into him, forcing the rounds to slam into its chest instead.

Shepard was slammed against the wall, feeling his ribs at least two of his ribs fracture. He felt the very wind knocked out of him.

Dow-13 retreated, jumping back and regarding Shepard with its cold eyes.

Coughing, Shepard struggled to stand as he spat out some blood. He could swear that the Turian-Krogan-Thorian Creeper-crossover was laughing at him. He pulled out his shotgun.

"Alright," he coughed out. "You asked for it."

He limped forward, the scientifically-altered creature in front of him sensing danger. It growled and tried to warn Shepard off, but the commander showed no intention of stopping.

The creature raised a mighty claw and readied a swipe, a guttural roar forming on its lopsided maw -

The shotgun blast blew off Dow-13's lower legs as though they were made of paper. The deformed creature screamed in pain and retaliation, before Shepard crushed a mighty boot against its neck, pressed the barrel of his shotgun against the creature's head, and squeezed the trigger.

Stepping back from its corpse, Shepard leaned against a wall and sighed. After taking a few moments to recuperate, Shepard turned back to those datapads.

"Hey Grunt," Shepard mumbled over the radio. "You still there?"

"Yeah!" the Krogan replied enthusiastically. "Kreavan warriors just got their asses kicked! We're resting on their bodies; it's great!"

"I'm coming back up. I got a lot of information I think Wrex'll want to see," Shepard said as he began grabbing all the datapads he could find and simultaneously downloading it to his omni-tool.

"Right, we'll meet you at the entrance. You think Wrex'll approve?"

"Oh, yeah, he'll _definitely _want to see this."

* * *

"I'm surprised, Shepard." Wrex said as he reviewed the data. "This is a treasure trove of information. My ... greatest ... thanks ... to you, Shepard. I will give this to some of the researchers not working on the genophage cure."

"What did you find?" Shepard asked.

"Apparently, Dow-13 was not the only one in its species. That would explain the claw marks, and how quickly the teams of warriors disappeared. The Dow series of creatures, named Dow as part of the word 'Shadow', had 130 successful test subjects before they overran the laboratory." Wrex paused. "The whole project was something done by a rogue band of Eclipse mercenaries that wanted to make a name for themselves. They tried to bred an army of unique creatures to serve as soldiers." Wrex gave a short laugh. "They should've spent more money into methods of _controlling _their beasts instead of making them stronger."

Wrex looked at Shepard. "Shepard, would it be too much to ask of another favor?"

"Well, it-" Shepard was interrupted by the sound of the radio. He sighed. "Hold on, Wrex, lemmie take this first. Joker?"

"Commander, you HAVE to get back up here, ASAP." The pure concern and panic in Joker's caused a cold rush of fear to flood Shepard.

"Wha- Why?"

Joker gulped. "Commander, there's no easy way to tell you this, but ..."

"Joker, just tell me."

"Your son's been kidnapped."

At that moment, Shepard wouldn't even have felt a Krogan headbutt him.

"I'll be right there, Joker," Shepard said, his voice level and dangerously calm.

Shepard turned to Wrex, his features emotionless.

"Sorry, Wrex, but I don't think I can do it right now. I have a family matter to solve."

* * *

** TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO**

_Shepard was nervous. Extremely nervous. He kept fiddling with the smallest flaw he could find in his pre-Contact war-tailored suit as the shuttle descended onto Elysium._

_"Calm down, Shepard," Garrus chuckled at the sight of Shepard fixing his blue tie with sweaty palms for the fifth time. "It's going to be fine."_

_Shepard snorted derisively in spite of himself. "Easy for you to say; you ever been to a wedding? Or attended your own?"_

_Garrus shook his fringed head. "No, but this will be a great learning experience." He laughed._

_"Glad you can treat my wedding so casually," Shepard muttered._

_"Did you and Miranda prepare for this?" Garrus asked. "I mean, you've got your shield generator, your Carnifex, you're a decent biotic, whereas Miranda ... Hell, I don't even need to get into details. You know her ... ah, capabilties, firsthand, wouldn't you, Shepard?" Garrus gave the groom an amused grin._

_"Laugh it up, Garrus. I could've picked another best man - er, best turian - whatever, y'know, one without all the snark."_

_"Yeah, but where the fun in that be?" Garrus scoffed. "Hey Shepard, how did you manage to propose anyway?"_

_Shepard paused, clasping his hands together. "Well ..." Shepard began. "I think it was about three weeks before the Defense Fleet assembled at the Battlefront. We just finished recruiting the Salarian Dreadnoughts and the Reapers attacked a turian planet. I nearly got decapitated from the waist-down, remember? Yeah, so, after I recovered, I remembered that my mom had given me her old wedding ring, last time we met when she was on the Orizaba. My dad came from a rather rich family, the ring was platinum, diamond, I think ... yeah, ten-freakin'-carat diamond ring, pre-Contact war, expensive as almighty hell, but ..."_

_Shepard coughed. "It was worth it, definitely worth it. I went down to her office, we ... er, wound up on the couch, then I just ... well, remembered."_

_Garrus interrupted him. "You guys just 'wound up on the couch'?" the turian grinned in an amused way._

_"_Anyway,_" Shepard said through gritt_ed _teeth. "I ... well, proposed, and ... she was quiet for a while. We talked. She said, 'After the Reapers', and I kinda knew she was firm on that."_

_Garrus sat forward. "Lemmie guess, that motivated you to kick the Reapers where it hurt and come out alive?"_

_Shepard snorted. "Garrus, believe me when I say that I was motivated to live the moment-" Shepard suddenly stopped himself and blushed. "Never mind." he said quietly._

_Garrus grinned, holding up a hand. "Don't worry, Shepard, I don't think I want to know."_

_Before Shepard could fire off a retaliatory remark, the shuttle jolted. A disembodied voice came over the intercom._

_"We are on Elysium, people. Be back to pick up the groom and bride when I get radioed. An, uh, good luck, Shepard."_

_

* * *

  
_**TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER**

Shepard found himself thinking of his wedding night as the Kodiak traveled back up to the Normandy orbiting above. He remembered the faces of every guest who had been there; his mother, who had happy and proud tears in her eyes, Anderson, of whom Shepard could feel the old comrade's approval, Garrus, who had been best man, Joker, just 'cause the old pilot had been with Shepard through thick and thin, the entire surviving crew of the Normandy SR-2, Admiral Hackett, cousins, uncles, and other relatives that he really didn't remember the names of, Grandfather Mark, and others that he could vaguely recall.

His thoughts were interrupted when the Kodiak arrived on the Normandy. Jumping out of the shuttle, Shepard stomped his way up to the CIC. He stepped in front of the hologram projector. "Joker, contact Mr X. I want some information."

"You got it, Commander," And seconds later, the signal was hooked up. Shepard stepped into the projector.

Mr X was sitting in front of a dinner table, enjoying what appeared to be sirloin steak. He stopped cutting the steak and looked up.

"Commander Shepard," he said neutrally. "What assistance do you require of me?" He then resumed to eat his meal as he waited for a response from the flustered commander.

Shepard sighed. He had his suspicions, but he doubted ... "Sir, I just got wind that my son ..." Shepard took a deep breath. "Has been kidnapped."

Mr X froze, a air of tenseness filling the atmosphere. He looked up ever so slowly. "Do you suspect that I did it?" he asked softly, his voice dangerously calm.

Dangerous question. Shepard wasn't the type to be paranoid, but Mr X wasn't a clean slate. Carefully considering his words, he responded.

"No, not really. I just ... I want information. Who ... could possibly have any interest in ...?" His words died in his throat. He felt frustrated, tired, and angry.

"Who could possibly have any interest in the son of two of the galaxy's most-recognized heroes?" Slight amusement was laced in Mr X's tone. "Give me a bit of information to work on here, Shepard. All that you've garnered, any theories, old enemies ..."

Shepard sighed. "I ... I contacted my mother. She said that an asari snuck up on her in her house, immobilized her with biotics, and then some humans came in and kidnapped Andrew. She said she also saw a Salarian hack security and the door. Then they knocked her out." Shepard sighed again. "They were ... experienced. Not just a bunch of fourth-rate mercenaries randomly choosing a house for a robbery. They had an objective, they had a plan, they had experienced operatives ... they acted."

Mr X was silent for a while, his brilliant mind contemplating Shepard's information.

"Asari, Humans, Salarian ... Usual Eclipse Mercenary bands ... Did they have armor?"

"Yeah, but no Eclipse logo."

"Of course, then it wouldn't be as easy to trace. Perhaps ..." Mr X froze, as though realizing something. "Shadow Broker."

Shepard frowned. "Isn't that jumping to conclusions?"

Mr X shook his head. "I usually do business with Shadow Broker. Information is valuable, but you have to rely on a medium rather than a contact for more important, harder-to-get information. I recall that the Shadow Broker seemed ... distressed because of a recent offer - extremely valuable information. But the seller wanted something; something ... perfect."

Shepard cocked an eyebrow. "Seems like a wild goose chase to me. Even if the information you managed to sneak is accurate, 'something perfect' doesn't essentially qualify as to being the son of heroes."

"Think about it, Shepard; Miranda had perfected genes, looks, and intelligence - essentially the image of a perfect human. You; a brilliant tactical mind, prodigious skill honed even further by years of intense training and warfare - essentially the image of a perfect soldier."

"Perfect genes, a combination of scientific engineering and pure skill."

"Exactly. Andrew is an extremely rare example of such perfection; in short, a treasure trove for any scientifically-reared mind with the ambition, talent, and resources to use. What else could fit the description of 'perfect'?

"You know the Shadow Broker will do anything for the right price, whether it be money or information. He tried to steal your remains to send it to the Collectors; why wouldn't he steal your son for some scientifically-minded genetic engineer in exchange for information or several hundred thousand credits?"

Shepard was silent for a while. He ... really didn't know what to think of all this. While, yes, Mr X's theory was jumping to conclusions a mite, that was a possible lead.

_Just like maybe a few hundred other possible leads; I can think of a few people that would want to do me in by stealing my son, _Shepard thought grimly.

"I'll ... keep that in mind." Shepard mumbled.

Mr X nodded stiffly. "Contact me should you have any other problems."

Shepard stepped out of the hologram projector and lost the signal. He was about to find out just how many problems he had gotten himself into.


End file.
